Electric cord connector



Sept. 20, 1 960 D. B. MILLER 3 ELECTRIC CORD CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 7,1956 United States Patent ELECTRIC CORD CONNECTOR Daniel B. Miller,Providence, R.I., assignor to Miller Electric Co., Pawtucket, R.I., acorporation of Rhode Island Filed Dec. 7, 1956, Ser. No. 627,026

2 Claims. (Cl. 339-131) This application relates to electrical cordconnectors and more particularly to a cord connector adapted to bemounted in the back panel of a television or radio receiving set. Sincesome of the parts of such appliances are often charged with dangerouslyhigh voltages when connected to a power source, it is required that thecord connector be so mounted that the removal of the back panel willautomatically disconnect the set from the power source. It is furtherrequired that the connector be mounted in the panel in such a way thatit cannot be removed therefrom without the use of tools.

Heretofore the customary means for mounting cord connectors ontelevision panels has been rivets. It is an object of the presentinvention to dispense with rivets and to provide a better fasteningmeans which will allow sufficient looseness and will facilitate theassembling and disassembling of the connector and panel.

A cord connector customarily mounted in the back panel of a televisionreceiving set is usually the female member of a male-and-femaleconnector, the male member-of which is rigidly mounted on the chassis ofthe set. When the back panel is placed in-position, the female connectormember mounted therein must engage and connect with the male connectormember which is on the chassis. If the two members are not in line,dilficulty may be experienced in installing the back panel, especiallyin new sets which are being assembled for the first time. According tothe present invention, a cord connector is provided that meets thestated requirements and is also loosely mounted in the panel so as tohave limited transverse play in any direction and also a limited play inthe front to rear direction. This facilitates the making of a goodconnection even though the male connector member on the chassis is notexactly where it ought to be.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be hadto the following description thereof, and to the drawing, of which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cord connector inserted in a panel,part of the latter being broken away;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the metal skeleton forming part of theconnector;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the connector mounted in a panel.

Figure 1 shows a cord connector embodying the invention, the connectorhaving been inserted in a rectangular aperture 12 in a panel 14. Theconnector 10 comprises a base 16 of insulating material such as rubberor synthetic plastic which is preferably but not necessarilysubstantially rectangular in shape. Integral with the base is a body 18of the same material. The dimensions of length and width of the base 16are substantially greater than those of the aperture 12 which in turnare substantially greater than those of the body 18, the sides and endsof the body being ofiset inwardly from those of the base. When thereforethe connector is inserted in an 2,953,768 Patented Sept. 20, 1960aperture 12, the body 18 projects therethrough with considerablelengthwise and widthwise play, but the top margins of the base '16engage the under face of the panel to limit the distance of insertion.

For convenience of description in the specification and claims, thepanel will be regarded as horizontal although in actual use it isusually vertical. References to upper and lower portions of variousmembers will therefore merely indicate relatively positions as shown onthe drawing and not necessarily as when in use.

To lend stiifness and strength to the connector as a whole, a stiffmetal skeleton is incorporated therein. As shown in Figure 2, thisskeleton is a sheet metal object having two parallel plates 20 and 22joined by two transverse cross-links 24 and 26 at their ends.

The plates 20 and 22 are within the mold when the base and body aremolded. They are so located that their upper portions are against theside faces of body 18 and extend from end to end thereof. The lowerportions of the plates project into the interior of the base 16 so thatthe cross-links 24 and 26 are embedded in the base as are also a pair ofhorizontal fins 28, which project outward from the plates to anchor theskeleton more firm-1y within the base. The upper portions of the plates20 and 22 extend upward from the base 16 against the side faces of thebody 18. At the upper edge of each of these plates one or more tonguesextend upward. Two such tongues 30 are shown on the upper edge of theplate 20 and similar tongues 32 on the upper edge of the plate 22. Afterthe connector has been inserted through the aperture 12 as indicated inFigure 1, the tongues 30 and 32 are bent outward to extend from the sidewalls of the body over portions of the margins of the panel 14 aroundthe aperture 12, the tongues being made long enough to overlap themargins around the aperture even when the aperture is large enough toallow considerable looseness of the connector therein. When connectorsand panels are assembled in a factory, power press tools (not shown) maybe used for rapid assembling, such tools being adapted to bend thetongues outward to act as lugs to keep the connector in the aperture. Inservicing or repairing a television set, the tongues can be bent in orout as required by simple tools such as pliers and a screw driver.

The skeleton is preferably arranged in the connector so that the tabsare spaced from the top of the base a distance substantially greaterthan the thickness of the panel 14. This, as shown in Figure 4, providesconsiderable play in a direction perpendicular to the plane of thepanel.

The connector is equipped with the usual contact elements 36 which areconnected respectively to wires 38, the connections being embedded inthe insulating base 16. The wires 38 may be arranged to emerge from thebase at any desired or convenient point. In the example shown in Figure1, the Wires emerge from an end face of the base 16.

If desired, an overhand knot may be tied in the wires 38 near thecontact elements 36, the base then being molded about the knot as wellas about the elements 36. The knot, being embedded in the base, takesthe strain if the cord 38 is strongly pulled, and prevents the cord frompulling out of the base.

I claim:

1. An electrical cord connector comprising a base of insulation, a bodyof insulation rising from said base and integral therewith, said bodyhaving sides and ends oifset inwardly from the sides and endsrespectively of the base, and a metal skeleton partially embedded insaid base, said skeleton including two parallel plates the upperportions of which are against the side walls of said body, the lowerportions of said plates extending into the interior of said base, saidskeleton also including cross-links within the base connecting saidplates, said skeleton having tongues along the upper edges of saidplates adapted to be bent out from the sides of said body to serve asanchoring lugs.

2. An electric cord connector adapted to be mounted in an aperture in apanel, said, connector. comprising a base having dimensions of lengthand width greater than the corresponding dimensions of said aperture, abody integral with said base, said body having side walls and dimensionsof length and widthsubstantially less than the corresponding dimensionsof said aperture, and a metal skeleton partially embedded in said base,said skeleton including two parallel plates the upper portions of whichare against the side walls of said body and extend above the top of thebase a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the panel onwhich the connector is to be mounted, the lower portions of said platesextending into the interior of said base, said skeleton also includingcross-links within the base connecting said plates, said skeleton havingtongues projecting from the upper ends of said plates adapted to be bentout from the sides of said body and of sufficient length to projectbeyond the edges of said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS819,418 Fielding May 1, 1906 2,431,951 Mauerer Dec. 2, 1947 2,477,862Cook Aug. 2, 1949 2,680,840 ONeil June 8, 1954 2,742,671 Scott Apr. 24,1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 493,667 Canada June 16, 1953 561,831 Germany Oct.20, 1932

